February 16, 2022

Van Hollen, Padilla, Warnock Introduce Bill to Permanently Re-establish DOT Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity

Legislation Reverses Trump Administration Action to Dissolve Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) introduced the Transportation Equity Act which requires the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to permanently re-establish the Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity.

The Advisory Committee was created under the Obama Administration to convene stakeholders in order to provide independent advice and recommendations about comprehensive, interdisciplinary issues related to transportation equity. However, the Trump Administration dissolved the Advisory Committee nearly a year before its initial charter was set to expire.

The Transportation Equity Act, led by Senators Padilla and Warnock, is co-sponsored in addition to Senator Van Hollen by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Bob Casey (D-Penn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).